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President Donald Trump has shifted positions toward Roy Moore. He endorsed Sen. Luther Strange in the GOP primary, and after the allegations came out, the White House said Trump felt Moore should quit the race if the accusations were true. | Pablo Martinez Monsivais/AP

Trump endorses Roy Moore, RNC plans to go back into Alabama race

MONTGOMERY, Ala. — President Donald Trump moved Monday to quash any lingering doubts about his support for Roy Moore, as Washington Republicans increasingly come to terms with the idea of the controversial former Alabama Supreme Court judge joining the Senate.

Early Monday morning, Trump tweeted that "we need Republican Roy Moore to win" in order to push through the president's agenda. Later, Trump called the Senate candidate directly to endorse his campaign, principal deputy press secretary Raj Shah said, and he has a rally planned later this week just over the state line in Pensacola, Florida. Some Alabamians have been receiving robocalls urging them to travel to the neighboring state for the rally.

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Following Trump's endorsement on Monday, a senior official with the Republican National Committee confirmed that it will reinvest in Alabama race but that it had yet to determine what exactly it will do.

Republicans, initially eager to distance themselves from Moore after women alleged that he romantically pursued or in some cases assaulted them when they were teenagers and he was in his 30s, have grown more muted in their criticism and appear to be softening toward the idea of working with him if he wins the Dec. 12 special election. Moore has denied any misconduct.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell last month said he believed the women who accused Moore and called for him to drop out of the race. But Sunday on "Face the Nation," McConnell said Congress would "swear in whoever's elected and see where we are at that particular point." House Speaker Paul Ryan, who also initially said Moore should step aside, skirted the issue in an interview with NPR last week, saying he was "focused on Congress," though he called the allegations "very, very credible."

Hannah Ford, Moore's deputy campaign manager, said Trump called the former judge "a fighter" during their call Monday. Brett Doster, a Moore adviser, said the president also stressed "the importance of winning next Tuesday."

"I am honored to receive the support and endorsement of President Donald Trump," Moore said in a statement.

"President Trump knows that the future of his conservative agenda in Congress hinges on this election. I look forward to fighting alongside the President to strengthen our military, secure our border, protect our gun rights, defend the sanctity of life, and confirm conservative judges to courts around this nation. We had a good conversation over the phone today and are working together towards conservative victory on December 12."

Trump, too, has shifted positions toward Moore. He endorsed Sen. Luther Strange in the Republican primary for Senate before Moore defeated the incumbent senator, and after the allegations came out, the White House said Trump felt Moore should quit the race if the accusations were true.

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But later, he seemed to change his mind, criticizing Moore’s Democratic opponent, former U.S. attorney Doug Jones. He also told reporters in late November that Moore “says it didn’t happen” and “you have to listen to him also,” in reference to allegations that Moore molested a 14-year-old girl while he was in his 30s.

The allegations have energized an already tense Senate race. In Montgomery, residential areas are dotted with competing yard signs for Moore and Jones. When the allegations first broke, polls showed a swing in Jones' direction, giving Democrats the first hope they could win a U.S. Senate seat this year in deep-red Alabama. A Washington Post poll released Saturday showed Jones leading Moore 50 percent to 47 percent.

Jones has a fundraising advantage too. He has raised about $10 million in his campaign, while Moore has raised about $1.8 million. Jones has been aggressively advertising in the state, and at any given time, a Jones TV commercial is easy to find.

But more recent polls have shown Moore recovering. A CBS poll over the weekend showed Moore leading Jones 49 percent to 43 percent.